Snatchers on the prowl with new tricks

Even as the tricity readies to enter into the festive mood, two more snatchings were reported in the heart of the city — one from Sector 22 and the second in Sector 17 on Wednesday — in broad daylight, getting the spotlight back on being cautious. Women, especially, need to be more careful as three of them were targeted on Wednesday.

Even as the tricity readies to enter into the festive mood, two more snatchings were reported in the heart of the city — one from Sector 22 and the second in Sector 17 on Wednesday — in broad daylight, getting the spotlight back on being cautious. Women, especially, need to be more careful as three of them were targeted on Wednesday.

That said, however, the ‘new tricks’ deployed by the snatchers could befuddle all as Wednesday’s snatchings, that added to the 80 such cases reported in the year so far, show.

First incident12:30 pm, jewellery shop row, Sector 22Modus operandi:Got the car to be unattended even as two women were seated by luring the occupant with Rs 10 note, then whisked away the purse.

A woman from Phase 3-A, SAS Nagar, was robbed of her purse from her car by an elaborate plan, it seems.

As soon as the victim Harjinder Kaur came back to her in the parking after shopping at a jeweller’s, an unknown person knocked at her door claiming that the shopkeeper had called her back.

Harjinder alighted from the vehicle, thinking she might have left behind something in the shop. Her daughter was seated in the car.

Again, two more people told the young girl that some Rs 10 notes belonging to her were lying unclaimed outside the car. She also alighted to pick up the notes and during the time, her mother’s purse was whisked away by miscreants.

An alarm was raised and the PCR van across the road was informed. The CCTV cameras are also being scrutinised, but no clue has emerged so far.

“I came to the market for my daughter’s wedding. The three miscreants staged an elaborate drama to cheat us. The purse contained Rs 15,000 and two ATM cards.” Commenting on the incident, Gurbaksh Singh, secretary, Market Association, Sector 22, said: “Residents need to maintain vigilance. The police cannot remain everywhere and all of us should remain vigilant and be aware of the new tricks deployed by the snatchers.”

Rama Chandran, a Tamil Nadu resident, was arrested after he snatched a purse from a woman entering the Indian Coffee House lane at around 2pm.

The purse contained Rs 200 and the accused was nabbed after a chase of half an hour.

Sector-17 station house officer Dilsher Chandel said: “The thief in Sector-17 has been nabbed and a case registered. We are not aware of any snatching in Sector 22 and no case has been registered. The police are doing their job.”